Linkin Park

After changing their name twice and recruiting several new members, including current vocalist Chester Bennington, the band settled on the name Linkin Park and began recording much of the material for their debut album “Hybrid Theory”, which was released shortly after the band signed with Warner Brothers in 1999.

“Hybrid Theory” was a breakthrough success for Linkin Park and quickly sold almost five million albums in its first year, with single “One Step Closer” demonstrating Chester Bennington’s dynamic vocal range and style. Linkin Park’s ability to bring nu metal to a mainstream, radio-listening audience has meant that the release of its five subsequent studio albums has bought the band ever-increasing success, and has turned Linkin Park into one of the most successful rock bands of the new millennium.

Singles “In the End” and “What I’ve Done” have been hugely successful across the globe and have demonstrated the band’s range and growth over the years. Linkin Park’s influences come from various sources, but Mike Shinoda has noted that Public Enemy has been a huge inspiration to them. The band has attempted to emulate Public Enemy’s three-dimensional sound by experimenting with the interplay between Mike Shinoda’s rap, Chester Bennington’s melodic rock voice and the band’s accompanying hard rock sound.

Linkin Park has collaborated with numerous other artists over the years including Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes, and Steve Aoki, among others. The versatility of their music has won them fans all over the world and it is no surprise that Linkin Park was the first rock band to attain over one billion views on YouTube.

In addition to this, the group has won two Grammy Awards and multiple MTV awards for their extensive discography. No strangers to hard work, the band has toured extensively promoting their own albums as part of their own Projekt Revolution – which has featured acts such as Snoop Dogg and Cyrpess Hill – and to raise money for various charitable causes over the past few years. With this level of talent and such a strong work ethic, one thing is for sure: Linkin Park won’t be going away anytime soon.